Overview
- IBM signed a definitive agreement to acquire HRL Laboratories on July 23, 2026, with Boeing and General Motors remaining partners and the transaction expected to close by the end of Q3 2026.
- HRL is a long‑standing R&D lab near Malibu, California, that develops silicon‑spin (electron spin) qubits and brings capabilities in quantum sensing, novel materials, cryogenics, control electronics, packaging, and advanced manufacturing.
- IBM said HRL researchers will be integrated into its research teams and that HRL chip work will begin at IBM's New York facility as the companies explore linking HRL with Anderon, IBM's recently announced quantum wafer foundry.
- Financial terms were not disclosed and the acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals before completion, according to IBM's announcement.
- The acquisition establishes a two‑track technical strategy that hedges against which qubit approach will scale, could accelerate progress toward IBM's Starling and Blue Jay roadmaps, and may strengthen U.S. quantum manufacturing and related commercial and government applications.